Attention, Fragrance Freaks: You're Going to Die Over the New Sampling Service That Just Launched

Monthly beauty sample subscription services are not a new concept. Birchbox, Glossybox, Julep’s Maven, and tons more paved the way for monthly boxes dedicated to pretty much every category. (Yes, even sex toys.)

But I’ve never seen a monthly subscription box that’s solely dedicated to fragrance, until now. [Update: there is another service similar to this, which launched in the spring, called Olfactif.] Bergamot, a new monthly sampling program that launched in September, is filling that void. The most exciting thing about it, though, is that it focuses on small-batch, indie fragrance brands. It’s kind of a big deal.

Many of the the current beauty sampling programs will include fragrances in their boxes, but they’re generally from commercial or designer brands, many of which you can smell at your local department store or Sephora. It’s much harder to get your hands, or nose, on fragrances from smaller brands, which don’t have the connections and marketing dollars that more established brands have.

As someone who does not have a signature fragrance and doesn’t want one, I am constantly on the lookout for new scents that 10 other people on the subway won’t also be wearing. (I change perfumes depending on my mood.) Unless you live in a city that can accommodate shops that carry niche scents, they’re hard to find and experience.

Bergamot will send you three spray vials every month, along with a pamphlet describing how each perfume was conceived, any interesting backstories, and the notes and ingredients. If you like any of them, you can then purchase full bottles directly from Bergamot.

Subscriptions cost $18 a month individually, $16 a month if you purchase a three-month package, and $14 a month for a six-month membership. If you buy a full-size product, Bergamot will give you a free month, which you can keep or gift. (Speaking of gifting, this might be a pretty amazing holiday gift for someone.) Recent boxes have included fragrances from MCMC, Etat Libre D’Orange, Ineke (one of my fave indie perfumers), and Atelier Colognes. The blog on Bergamot’s site also has great interviews and information if you’re a true perfume nerd and want to learn more.

Do you have a signature fragrance? Would you ever consider an indie perfume that no one has heard of?